Easing age tensions among nurses

Multiple generations working together does not always make for plain sailing.

Learn generational needs and strengths and all factions win, say researchers

When four generations work together the differences are often seen as challenges and sources of tension. Findings from research carried out by New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) researchers Jill Clendon and Leonie Walker suggested that some nurses struggle to understand the varying perspectives of their work colleagues who are from different generations.

"Recognising the needs and strengths of each group is important and failure to do so may have a significant impact on recruitment and retention in the sector, may affect service delivery and may cause conflict in the workplace if not addressed," the researchers say. "Greater understanding of the strengths and differences of each group will help nurses gain greater satisfaction from their collegial relationships, improve teamwork and ultimately improve patient outcomes."

More flexible work hours, job sharing, mentoring, and career planning for nurses aged over 50, are some of the initiatives under way. In the past 10 years the average age in nursing has risen from 42 to 46.5.

Clendon says many of those who have been in nursing for a long time have never really considered it from a career perspective. Career planning may help develop roles for nurses later in their careers by building on intergenerational factors such as developing mentorship pathways (see NZNO website) and moving older nurses into less physical roles.

"Work on the wards is incredibly physical. A lot of nurses retire with back injuries and complete and utter exhaustion. So you have these people towards the end of the careers wanting to work fewer hours in less demanding roles, maybe not do night shifts any longer. Then you have younger nurses who are really keen to do those sorts of things. There are a lot of ways we can look at easing the tension in workplaces and make it a better place for older and younger nurses."

Job sharing is another possibility, - perhaps with a younger nurse who has school-age children.

"This flexibility [along with] mentorship between the two is also a good way of improving communication between the generations. There are definitely work patterns we can encourage that will diminish tension."

Intergenerational misunderstandings can arise when communication shoots from the lip before being thought through. "There are always projects going on in workplaces and often younger or newer nurses come in with some fantastic ideas. They'll present these ideas and the older nurses will groan and say, 'Oh we've tried that,' or 'We did that years ago.'

"But in fact it's not that the older nurses are pooh-poohing the idea it's simply their generational perspective and I guess their inbred cynicism by the time they are that age. But that kind of response can cause conflict with the younger nurses who are enthusiastic and passionate about their new roles."

Understanding where these comments come from and that they aren't personal - as well as phrasing comments differently - can make the way smoother, Clendon says.

"Later-career nurses" trained and worked for many years before computerisation. Notes that once were handwritten are now done electronically, as are many other processes. "It's been incredibly hard for some nurses who weren't brought up using computers," Clendon says. "So you get these young nurses who live in the internet age and were born with smartphones in their hands, and later-career nurses can feel a bit threatened by this.

"It can create tension. However, the more sensible of the later-career nurses go, 'Aha, these young nurses know what they are doing. I'm going to ask them for help'."

More people working longer exacerbates competition for positions but Clendon sees the biggest challenge as a looming workforce shortage. "In 10 to 15 years all those nurses now 50 and over are going to retire. The difficulty is that at present we don't have that shortage. New grads are competing for roles with people who have experience and have been established in their careers for a long time.

"You still hear from older nurses that they can't get a job because people think they are going to retire soon. It's a really complex environment for these guys - young ones wanting jobs, older ones who want to stay a bit longer and find they get trapped in their positions as well."

Meanwhile, working on the give and take between generations bodes well for morale and productivity.

"Encouraging tolerance around communication and understanding the different places people have come from has to be an important part in the workplace."